Judge rules Seattle's tax on the wealthy is illegal; city vows to appeal

foxnews.com ^ | 11/24/17 | Barnini Chakraborty

[ColdOne]

Seattle’s controversial tax on the wealthy failed its first legal test this week after a judge ruled the new ordinance violates state law – but the city isn’t backing down and vows to appeal, setting the stage for a Washington State Supreme Court showdown.

King County Superior Court Judge John Ruhl ruled in a Wednesday that Seattle did not have the authority to impose the tax because state law prohibits tax on net income.

City Attorney Pete Holmes called the decision “disappointing” but, in a joint statement with Seattle Mayor Tim Burgess, said their goal to eliminate the state’s “over-reliance on regressive sales taxes” would continue.

“We are also living in a time of extreme income inequality that corrodes our social compact and causes many to wonder whether wealthy individuals are paying their fair share,” they said.

[Sparticus]

Freaking commies. Communism is not part of the social contract.

[mazda77]

Stuck on stupid, on full display.

[morphing libertarian]

zactlee

[fwdude]

A lot of questions, but first and foremost:

How exactly do the Marxists in Seattle define “wealthy?”

[ColdOne]

250k

[blueunicorn6]

“Let’s tax the birds!”

“Yeah! And the salmon!”

If you could put a big net around the Seattle City Council chambers, I’ll bet you could catch your limit of lunatics in two minutes.

[rightwingcrazy]

“How exactly do the Marxists in Seattle define ‘wealthy?’”

1. Having more than I have. Or
2. Having something that I want.

[robroys woman]

We’re gonna need more popcorn.

[OttawaFreeper]

I wonder what Senator Carmichael thinks of this tax?

[fwdude]

$250k in income or wealth? What if one sells a house in WA? Are they instantly, but temporarily, “wealthy?” What is the reckoning period?

[vette6387]

Kshama Sawant. If you think diversity is a good thing, just look at what this woman, a “immigrant from India” is trying to do in Seattle. It just continues to amaze me as to how many people in this country can't see what the end game will be if we continue to allow unfettered immigration, particularly from places where Socialism/Communism flourishes. When will we get back to really scrutinizing every single person who wants to come here? These people have no intention of "embracing the American Dream," they are coming here to do their best to convert this country into a replica of the crap hole they came from.

[Republican Wildcat]

“We are also living in a time of extreme income inequality that corrodes our social compact and causes many to wonder whether wealthy individuals are paying their fair share,” they said.

It doesn't get much more stupid than this, folks. And how much do they pay if they move out of the jurisdiction?

If you want "the rich" to pay more in taxes then you need more "rich" people. "The rich" don't pay anything at all if they don't exist.

[mewzilla]

Wondering if the tax was the reason for Amazon’s HQ2 talk....

[mewzilla]

The uniparty’s definition of rich: Anyone drawing a private sector pay check.

[rickomatic]

Mark my words. The state (Seattl liberal judges all) Supreme Court will overrule this peon judges ruling. Every one of them are bought and paid for by the leftist Democrats. Our State Constitution is nothing more than an annoying temporary bump in the road for them.

[PROCON]

The city doesn't have the authority to tax some citizens and not all per the state Constitution.

However, the Washington Supreme Court is full of liberals so I expect a "loophole" or a "newly discovered" clause that will allow the tax.

Then every city in the state will follow suit.

[factoryrat]

It’ll probably go to the 9th, and those communist pricks will declare it legal, and reduce the definition of “wealthy” to anyone who earns an actual paycheck.

[rockrr]

The SeattLunatics will gladly spend an amount greater than the anticipated revenue on this dog of a rule.

[Steely Tom]

Mark my words. The state (Seattl liberal judges all) Supreme Court will overrule this peon judges ruling. Every one of them are bought and paid for by the leftist Democrats. Our State Constitution is nothing more than an annoying temporary bump in the road for them.

I was just thinking something similar: the lower court ruling just means the judges want a slice of the cake.

Seattle figures out how to do that, the "judiciary branch" will give it a thumbs-up.